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T. VIGARS THE ELDER, J. VIGARS THE ELDER,

T.VIOARS THE YOUNGEPJ, & J. VIOARS THE YOUNGER. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AND IN PURNAGES.

No. 296.301. Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AND IN FURNACES. No. 296.301.

Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

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T. VIGARS THE ELDER, J. VICA RS THEELDER, T. VIOAPJS THE YOUNGER, & J. VIOARS THE YOUNGER.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AND IN FURNAGES. No. 296.301. Patented Apr. 1,1884.

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THOBIAS VIOARS THE ELDER, JOHN VICARS THE ELDER, THOMAS VIOARS THE YOUNGER, AND JOHN VIOARS THE YOUNGER, OF LIVERPOOL, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDI NG FUEL TOAND IN FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 148121281 5 Patent No. 296,301, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed November 21, 1883. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS Violins the elder, JoHN Vroans the elder, THOMAS VIC ARS the younger, and JOHN Violins the younger, all residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Feeding Fuel to Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding fuel, mainly crushed or small coal, to steam-generator and other furnaces, and for causing it to travel from the front to the back thereof, (such apparatus be- 15 ing commonly called mechanical stokers or self-etching appliances) and has reference to the construction and arrangement of the apparatus as a whole and to the construction of certain parts thereof. The main objects are to insure regularity and uniformity of feed, so as to promote steady combustion, to obtain efiiciency and durability in the working parts, combined with ready means for adjusting the speed at which the fuel is fed to the requirements of combustion, and to construct and arrange the apparatus in such mannor that the mouth of the furnace is unobstructed and hand-stoking available when required.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation, Fig.

2, Sheet2, ahorizontal section, and Fig. 3, Sheet 3, a vertical section, of a steam-generator furnace constructed with our improved fuel-feeding apparatus. Figs. 4 and 5, Sheet 3, are elevations of the gear for actuating the fire-bars, so as to give motion to the fuel in the furnace; and Fig. 6, Sheet 3, is an elevation of the fire bar carrier.

In all the views the same letters denote like parts.

1 is the shell of a steam-generator; 2, the furnace; 3, a cast-iron frame carrying various parts of the apparatus. shown is designed to be fitted to a generator having two furnaces, for convenience only one furnace and fittings being shown. 4 4 are hoppers filled from time to time with the coal or other suitable fuel. 5 are plungers fitting beneath the hoppers and free to be moved to and fro in chambers 6; 7, openings from the The apparatus here hoppers over shelves 8 into the furnace 2; 9 9, eccentrics and straps coupled by bellcrank levers 10 10 to the plungers 5, and pivoted at 11 11 to the castings, forming the'bottoms of chambers 6. The eccentrics are carried by a shaft, 12, supported in bearings in the frame 3, the shaft receiving motion through the ratchet-wheel 13. 14 is an arm fitting loosely on the boss of the ratchet-wheel 13, and provided with a pawl taking into the teeth of the said ratchet-wheel 13; 15, rod connecting the arm 14 with any suitable motor; 16, cam fit ting loosely on the shaft 12, and provided with teeth 17 18, pawls working. on the fixed stud l9 and taking into the teeth 17 of the cam 16. The pawls are of such length that one rests on the top of atooth, while the other is in the space between two teeth. This arrangement allows of the cam being moved and secured in position by one or other of the pawls a distance of half the space between one tooth and the next. A projection on the pawl of the arm 14 overhangs the cam 16, so that when the said pawl is moving with the arm in its backward stroke the projection comes in contact with the cam sooner or later, according to the position of the said cam, the remaining portion of the backward stroke and the first portion of theforward stroke being made without the pawl being in contact with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel13. Thus the portion of the forward stroke during which the pawl is in gear with the ratchet-wheel is varied. By this means the motionof the arm 14 is constant, while the motion of the ratchet-wheel 13, and with it the shaft 12 and eccentrics and plungers, is varied, so as to reduce or increase the speed of feed of fuel from the hoppers to the dead-plate 20.

The apparatus above acts as follows: The rod 15 receives motion from any suitably-disposed reciprocating machinery and imparts an oscillating motion to the arm and pawl 14. These in their turn give an intermittent rotary motion at the desired speed to the ratchet- 5 wheel 13 and shaft 12. The shaft 12 imparts motion to the eccentrics and plungers. These" latter gradually push the coal out of the hoppers, over the shelves 8, onto the dead' 'plates 20, and thence onto the fire-bars The eccen- IOO ' its inward stroke while the other is performing its outward stroke.

We would have it understood that so far we do not claim any of the above-described mechanism as new, either in any of its parts or as a whole, as such mechanism is well known; and we reserve to ourselves the right to use other hopper-feed mechanism in lieu thereof, in combination with the novel features hereinafterv described. WVe do, however, claim the above mechanism as the most suitable for use in combination and as forming part of our fuelfeeding apparatus as a whole.

21 21 are two series of fire-bars resting at the back of the furnace on the grooved carrier 22-one bar in each groove-so that they are always in correct lateral position. It is essential that this carrier 22 be grooved, as in practice we have found that the reciprocating bars cannot be worked satisfactorily. The said bars are provided at their front ends with rectangular notches, which fit on cross-bearers 23 23, provided with freely revolving grooved pulleys 24 24. The said pulleys roll on guides 25, and support the crossbearers 23 and 23, and by them the bars 21 and 21, so as to allow to-and-fro motion to be freely imparted to the said bearers and bars. 26 26 are forked straps coupled, respectively, to the cross-bearers 23 23. 27 27 are forks cast or formed with the said straps, so as to fit around the shaft 12. 28 28 are closing-pieces, which fit into the ends of the forks. The forks 27 of the straps 26 are provided at the top with sliding blocks 29, made each with an abutment, 30. The said sliding blocks and abutments are capable of being adjusted and secured in position by means of pawls and teeth 31. Each fork 27 is hollowed in the interior, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, so as to leave abutments 32. 33, cams secured to the shaft 12, within the forks 27, and arranged to act alternately on the abutments 30 32 during the revolution of shaft 12, and give the forks 27 to-and-fro motion. The forks carry with them the straps 26 and cross-bearers 23, and by these, the bars 21 and 21 in their forward motion. On the return motion the bars 21 alone move. The forks 27 are hollow internally, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that abutments 34 arev formed. 35 are cams secured to the shaft 12, within the forks 27, at right angles .to and behind the cams 33, so as to act on the abutments 34 and move back the forks27 andbars 21 a quarter-revolution of the shaft 12, after the bars 21 have been moved back. Ratchet-teeth are formed on the bottoms of the forks 27, into which pawls 36 take, so as to prevent the forked straps 27, and with them the bars 21, from being moved back with the bars 21.7by any friction between them. Unless this or equivalent pawl-and-ratchet mechanism is employed, the return of the second series of bars at the desired time cannot be controlled. 37 are cams secured on the shaft 12, to act on the'pawls 36 and move them out of gear with the teeth on the forked straps 27 when the cams 35 are ready to act on the abutments 34. 38 is a perforated bridge.

The action of the above-described appara tus is as follows: The coal fed from the hoppers onto the bars 21 and 21 is carried forward by their motion, the bars moving conjointly, by reason of the cams 33 acting on the forked straps 27, and giving a forward motion to them and to the crossbearer 23, which not only move the bars 21 by direct connection, but

also the bars 21 by impact, as will be seen by the dotted lines, Fig. 3, which show how the said bearers abut against the bars 21 during their forward motion. As the shaft 12 revolves the cams 33 act against the abutments 32 and cause the bars 21 to return to their original position. Still later the cams 35 cause the bars21 to return. The bars in their conjoint forward motion carry the fuel from the front to the back of the furnace, while in their serial return motion it remains stationary. The forward motion-of the bars is regulated by adjusting the position of the sliding blocks 29. The clinker and unburned fuel are pushed onto and over the bridge 38 into the flue,

where combustion is completed. The clinker and ashes are then withdrawn.

39 is a steam-pipeled fromthe boiler through the ash-pit to the bridge, so that jets of steam may be delivered past the bridge through between the ends of the bars, so as to keep the said bars and bridge comparatively cool. Unless the grooved carrier-bar 22 and bridge are kept cool, there will be a tendency of said parts to warp or sag, which will materially affect the operation of the reciprocating bars. The perforations 38 in the bridge also assist in keeping the said bridge cool.

40 is the furnace-door, hinged at 41 to the dead-plate 20.

The construction and arrangement of the stoking apparatus at each side of the furnace leave a free space in front of the said door, so that it can be opened without interfering with the mechanical fuel-feeding apparatus. W

We do not herein broadly claim the combination, in a grate, of reciprocating bars with shafts and cam mechanism for imparting to said bars a conjoint forward motion and a serial return motion. 1

We claim I 1. In a grate, the combination of a series of fire-bars with a rotating shaft provided with cams for imparting a conjoint forward motion and a serial return motion to said bars, retaining-pawls 36, and releasing-cam 37, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of fire-bars 21, carrier 23, pulleys 24, guides 25, straps 26, forks 27 shaft 12, cams 35, abutments 34, pawls 36, and releasing-cams 37.

3. The combination of fire-bars 21 21 with grooved carrier 22 and carriers 23 23, sup ported on guides 25 by pulleys 24 24.

4. The combination of a stemn-jet pipe, hopper-feed apparatus, as illustrated and de- 39, bearingbar 22, and fire-bars moved conscribed. jointly and in series by means a shaft, 12, and cams. 5 5. The combination of a steam-jet pipe, 39, with firebars moved conjoint-1y and in series, abearing-bar, 22, and a perforated bridge, 38.

THOMAS VIGAR-S THE EED'ER; JOHN VICARS THE ELDER. THOMAS VIGARS THE YOUNGE-R. JOHN VIGARS THE YoUNeER.

6. The combination of fire-bars moved c0n- Witnesses: jointly and in series, when provided with re- 10 teiuing-pawls 36 and releasing-cams 37 with XV. B. J OHNSON, J. JOHNSON. 

